JÉNNY

IN PARIS

The opportunity to visit Paris presented itself sooner than expected, via my friend Carole, who arranged for me to stay for a few days with her at her flat in the 14th arrondissement. Her daughter, who lives there, generously spent those days couch surfing with her school friends so we could be extra comfortable in the cozy flat, perched up on the 6th floor, just below the roof of their charming building. With dormer windows overlooking the quiet courtyard, fancy metal work, and a red-carpeted spiral staircase, it was everything one would expect of a Parisian apartment, except with the bonus of a petite elevator, Ça me rejouit!

We spent lots of time just strolling the most interesting neighborhoods, stopping along the way to explore shops and markets.

We saw the repaired Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and Trocadero, the Louvre etc. Though we only toured Hotel de la Marine and Notre Dame.

Liberty, equality, fraternity! May Day in France is a celebration of workers and includes the 500 year old tradition of giving a bouquet of Lily of the Valley and sometimes dogwood blossoms.

We did lots of window shopping and food experiences. Dehillerin Cookware

The most unique experience was a cooking workshop at Le Cordon Bleu at Hôtel de la Marine. We learned to make Charlotte Fruits Rouges and sampled it at the end of the session. Trés bon!

Also at Hotel de la Marine was a fantastic interactive tour of the royal “Garde-Meuble”. The audio guide responds to your movements as you walk through the exhibit. If you want to hear more about a particular space, stand still and the story will go more in depth. If you want to skip something or hear it in a different order just move to another spot and the audio adjusts to where you are located. Standing at the desk pictured below, for example, it tells about the abolition of slavery. Or in the dining room you can listen to extensive details about the food. I especially enjoyed the olfactory experience of Odoramento! In fact I’m going to try some of the scent blend “recipes” using my essential oils.

We rested and cooled down from the unseasonably warm temps at Luxembourg Gardens which offered an impressive array of vistas and seating options.

I wanted to check out the textiles district to see about a future fabric shopping trip and pick up some notions that are hard to find in Sweden. I was blown away by the assortment of fabrics. And just after Carole related the story of a friend she met while working at Harrod’s London, who made her wedding dress from materials purchased in these shops, who should we encounter but “La Philomène” herself, in the company of yet another friend of Carole’s exploring the 6 floor textiles department store. It’s amazing that we met! We could have been near each other and never crossed paths considering the size of the shops.

The Wall of Love was a quick stop in Montmartre, near the fabric shops, where the artist collected ways to say “I Love You” in 250 different languages. It’s done in tile and is a popular open-air, free, anytime photo op.

So we had lovely, warm weather for my entire stay, maybe a bit of free “sauna” in the metro, but perfect to be outside. The timing was excellent, even more than I appreciated in the moment, because Paris had a sudden intense hailstorm on May 3, after my departure. I imagine the damage from hail and flooding was quite severe in some places. I was really lucky to avoid the travel problems that ensued. What an incredible experience to catch up with a friend and see Paris with an insider. Merci beaucoup, Carole! Kiss, kiss